Alcohol consumption in the first months of pregnancy goes away. I didn’t know I was pregnant and drank alcohol: consequences and effects on the fetus

Everyone knows that alcohol during pregnancy is harmful. future mom. Strong drinks can cause various changes in the human body. The irreversibility of pathological processes depends on the amount of alcohol consumed. It is also necessary to take into account that it can affect not only the well-being of the mother, but also her unborn baby.

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During pregnancy, insidious alcohol is harmful in any quantity. Therefore, you should not hope that a couple of glasses of wine a week will not interfere with bearing a child. Regular red wine can seriously affect nascent life.

In the first weeks of your pregnancy, drinking alcohol is especially dangerous. It can cause irreversible consequences. Let's look at this in more detail.

The harmful effects of alcohol

During pregnancy, a competent doctor will always tell a woman whether she can drink alcohol. It's not worth doing this. The fact is that due to the regular intake of alcohol into a woman’s body, her placenta ceases to fully perform its functions. This is why a developing baby experiences a lack of nutrients.

Toxic alcoholic drinks are very harmful to pregnant women

In addition, toxins are formed during the breakdown of alcohol. A pregnant woman's liver cannot cope with them completely. Because of this, acetaldehyde begins to appear in the body, which is dangerous for the fetus.

When on early stages During pregnancy, a woman even occasionally drinks alcohol, the process of division and formation in the fetal cells is disrupted. Brain cells are also affected. This causes a huge number of pathologies. Also find out during pregnancy.

How does alcohol affect the fetus?

Every woman needs to know exactly how alcohol can affect pregnancy. Occasional or frequent drinking of alcohol can cause the following abnormalities in a baby:

• pathology of the central nervous system, including violations of motor and visual coordination;
• the appearance of congenital defects in appearance: “cleft palate”, “cleft lip”;
• too short a baby’s growth can also be a consequence of the influence of harmful alcohol on pregnancy;
• specific facial features: the baby has very narrow eyes, a flat face, a small head, abnormalities may not appear immediately, but only 2-3 years after birth;
• insufficient body weight after childbirth, usually the weight of a fetus with serious psychophysical disorders is a maximum of 2.5 kg; if the pathologies are less pronounced, then the children weigh a little more, but still their weight is less than the established norm (however, you need to take into account the structural features of the parents, if the mother before pregnancy she weighed 50 kg, and her height was 160 cm, then 2.5 - 3 kg for her child is the norm);
• the influence of various types of alcohol consumed during pregnancy on the fetus can cause the child to have difficulty absorbing information during preschool and school age;
• the appearance of congenital heart defects.

During pregnancy, you also need to know whether you can use different kinds alcohol in later stages. Even one glass of wine can trigger premature labor. This is only a small part of how alcohol can affect the fetus. IN modern world The number of diagnoses of alcohol syndrome in children is constantly increasing.

Doctors prohibit alcoholic drinks while pregnant

When a woman drinks alcohol in the first month of her pregnancy, in 20% of cases the child may die. If we compare this indicator among non-drinking mothers, it is at the level of 2%. Moreover, even if the baby survives, in the vast majority of cases he will be far behind his peers in physical and mental development. Regular seizures of epilepsy are not excluded.

Only a third of women who drank alcohol during early pregnancy give birth to successful children. But usually this well-being is only temporary, and after a few years various developmental problems arise. It is already known that alcohol that circulates in a woman’s blood can easily enter the fetus’s body.

When a woman regularly drinks alcohol not only before the delay, but also in the early stages of her pregnancy, all systems and vital organs of the woman are often affected: the thyroid gland, heart, nervous system, liver. These changes may adversely affect the fetus. Alcohol penetrates the placenta, so the baby remains defenseless against its harmful influence.

Planning for your baby

Planning for conception should begin in advance to prevent the negative consequences of drinking alcohol. You need to find out more about whether you can drink alcohol when planning a pregnancy. Not only women, but also men should take care of themselves, because during conception, the paternal and maternal reproductive cells merge. Therefore, the future father is also responsible for the health and development of his children. Please note that it takes about three months for new sperm to mature, so a man should stop drinking alcohol.

If you do not completely stop drinking alcohol, you may develop sedentary cells with DNA abnormalities that affect sperm quality. Three months before the expected conception, you must completely stop drinking alcohol. Alcohol can interfere with pregnancy planning due to several factors.

1. Decreased orgasmic experiences.
2. Decreased erection.
3. Decreased male libido.

Scientists conducted research and found that slow intrauterine development of the fetus occurs due to the father's addiction to alcohol. It doesn't matter how often he drinks.

Carrying a healthy baby is a great happiness

Excessive drinking also causes the development of fetal alcohol syndrome. Small doses can reduce sperm motility and viability. Damage to the hereditary and genetic structure of sperm has an extremely negative impact on the health of the unborn child. Some doctors believe that you can drink no more than 25 ml of alcohol per day. This is approximately 200 grams of dry wine or 60 grams of vodka. However, most doctors are confident that you need to completely give up drinking.

A woman's set of eggs are formed before she is born, while the fetus develops inside the womb. This set will be with her all her life, but it changes under the influence of negative factors. One of them is alcohol.

Alcohol can “poison” eggs, which significantly increases the risk of having a baby with pathologies. Any doctor will answer whether it is possible to drink alcohol at least occasionally during pregnancy, but will not be able to say exactly what dose can poison the eggs. This is a very individual question.

For some women, one glass of wine during their entire pregnancy is enough for the baby to be born weak or with any abnormalities. And some expectant mothers do not limit themselves when planning conception, but this does not affect their baby in any way. In any case, you need to play it safe and give up alcohol six months to a year before conception. This is a must if you want to give birth to a healthy and strong baby.

Some girls ask doctors whether alcohol can affect a pregnancy test. No, I can't. Home diagnostics only determine an increase in the amount of a certain hormone. Alcohol in the blood will not affect her in any way. Find out also how it works.

Artem Avdeev, gynecologist.

Alcohol in early pregnancy increases the risk of miscarriage. So you shouldn't take that risk. Even a small amount of wine can cause abnormalities in the fetus.

Karina Miloslavskaya, obstetrician-gynecologist.

A moderate amount of drinking can provoke changes in the brain, let alone regular alcohol consumption. The worst thing is that it is not always possible to detect disturbances in the development of a baby until he is born.

Arseny Korolev, gynecologist.

Alcohol in the early stages of pregnancy affects the central nervous system, liver, and vascular system. The mental potential of the fetus suffers. Drinking will definitely cause serious pathologies and deformities.

: Borovikova Olga

gynecologist, ultrasound doctor, geneticist

Doctors strongly advise their pregnant patients to give up alcohol. When an expectant mother drinks alcohol, there is always a chance that the fetus will develop some kind of pathology. Alcohol in the early stages of pregnancy is the most undesirable option, although many women believe that the baby is in no danger until the placenta develops. How does alcohol affect the embryo, and why is drinking alcohol dangerous?

Alcohol in early pregnancy: is it possible or not?

What are early stages of pregnancy? Up to twelve weeks, that is, almost the entire first trimester. One more important point becomes a way to calculate the deadline. Official medicine adheres to a single method, it is called obstetric. In this case, the first day of the last menstruation is considered the conditional beginning of pregnancy.

You can find two more methods on the Internet. One assumes that pregnancy begins two weeks after the specified date and is called a count from conception. Another suggests that women count the period from the moment when they did not have their next menstruation. The last two methods take into account some features of conception, but are not accepted by official medicine. Doctors are required to count only the obstetric period, as this is important when calculating the period of maternity leave, as well as the expected date of birth itself.

Therefore, you will have to understand the intricacies of drinking alcohol during an obstetric period of 12 weeks or less. Concerning alcohol taboos during pregnancy, debate has been going on for a long time and constantly. Some say that red wine is only beneficial for pregnant women, as it contains vitamins and antioxidants, and beer promotes digestion, relieves nausea and heartburn. Others argue that the negative effect of alcohol on the fetus is exaggerated, and small doses of alcohol will do nothing for either the mother or her unborn child.

A professional doctor will not agree with any of these arguments. A woman can get vitamins and antioxidants from other foods; good digestion is ensured by a special diet. You can get rid of the unpleasant manifestations of toxicosis in pregnant women without beer. And the consequences of alcoholization of an embryo can be very sad.

It is a very common belief that alcohol is completely safe until the mother has developed a placenta and umbilical cord. This process is completed by approximately the 16th week of pregnancy, which means that it is not at all necessary to exclude alcohol from your life for almost half of the period. There is also a big mistake here. The placenta develops over several weeks, but the work of this organ begins almost immediately from the beginning of formation. Until this moment, the expectant mother is already sharing everything good and bad with her baby through the finest internal connections.

In addition, almost any of us may encounter a woman with her own positive experience of drinking alcohol during pregnancy. Such an acquaintance, friend or relative will tell you that she did not deny herself anything, including alcoholic beverages. And nothing, the child is healthy, developing normally, no complications. How to treat such statements is a personal matter for everyone.

There are other arguments. Every now and then doctors have to help women who either come to clinics with a threat of miscarriage or have already lost a barely conceived child. There are many reasons for spontaneous abortion. Drinking alcohol is not the last one.

A special diagnosis – fetal alcohol syndrome – cannot be called accidental or erroneous. We are talking about a variety of mental, physical and mental disorders that are found in some children. IN best case scenario These are minor disturbances in appearance and some difficulties in acquiring knowledge and mastering skills. At worst - deformities, disabilities, complete learning disabilities.

Obviously, there are plenty of arguments for and against when it comes to drinking alcohol in the first trimester of pregnancy. However, in the end, the expectant mother herself will still have to decide. We can only hope that every pregnant woman will assess the situation with full responsibility and will not tempt fate when the question is about the health, fate and, possibly, the life of her child.

Alcohol in the first month of pregnancy

This is a special topic for discussion. What is the first month of pregnancy using the obstetric calculation method? In fact, most of this time there is no pregnancy. First, a woman's menstruation comes and lasts for several days, then the period of ovulation and conception begins. The resulting fertilized cell is not even considered an embryo. It will take about five days for a tiny piece of new life to gain a foothold in the uterine cavity.

The processes of egg maturation, fertilization and consolidation are completely imperceptible for a woman. Even if the pregnancy was carefully planned. Modern pharmacy pregnancy tests are able to declassify the interesting position of the expectant mother just one or two days before the expected period. If pregnancy was not planned and not allowed, then awareness comes much later, only a few days after the delay of menstruation.

So it sometimes turns out that drinking alcohol in the first month of pregnancy almost always goes unnoticed. In fact, pregnancy has already occurred, albeit very, very early, and the mother does not yet know about it and does not deny herself anything. Many women have developed certain alcoholic habits - gatherings with friends, celebrating Friday evenings, any family, personal and other holidays. Perhaps even conception occurred after the partners drank alcohol.

For your information:

Just a few decades ago in the Soviet Union, abortion was allowed, but not encouraged; doctors tried in every possible way to dissuade patients from such a step. However, if a woman reported an alcoholic conception, she immediately received a referral to terminate the pregnancy.

Very little time passes, and the woman finds out that she already lives for two. Many women know about the dangers of alcohol and its negative impact on the fetus. And then addressed to doctors, friends and various Internet forums important question: “Tell me what will happen, I drank alcohol in the first month of pregnancy.” Some will answer that it’s okay, others will sympathize. The most correct thing to do in such a situation is to admit that it is no longer possible to change anything. It’s too late to worry, and now it’s even harmful. From now on, the most important thing is to take care of the further full development of the baby.

However, such a situation might not have arisen. To do this, just follow a few simple recommendations:

1. If pregnancy is planned in advance, then abstaining from alcohol is simply mandatory. And for both future parents. Family planning specialists advise leaving bad habits at least three months before the couple begins active and targeted actions. This measure increases the quality and activity of sperm and perfectly prepares the woman’s body for future tests.
2. It happens that pregnancy is not specifically planned, but is allowed. This means that spouses (partners) do not use any means of contraception, but do not calculate the time of female ovulation and do not take others additional measures. This situation does not mean that the couple can maintain all their alcoholic habits or even remain in a state of everyday drunkenness. Refers to possible emergence A child should be brought into the world with all responsibility. Unfortunately, not all potential parents do this.
3. Finally, pregnancy can be unplanned, even if partners use birth control. Sometimes this happens by pure chance. Not a single method of contraception provides a guarantee of protection against conception above 95–99 percent, and with interrupted intercourse the probability is 50/50. In addition, sometimes people themselves are to blame. For example, a man may use a condom incorrectly, or a woman may forget to take a pill. In such a situation, there is only one piece of advice - to be more attentive in preventive measures and in the future (if you decide to carry a child to term and give birth) to follow all the rules and recommendations for a healthy lifestyle for expectant mothers.

Carrying and giving birth to a baby is a huge job. It’s even more difficult to then grow a small miracle so that it turns out to be great happiness. In order for the baby under the mother’s heart to develop as best as possible, it is necessary to give up all bad habits, including drinking alcohol.

Attention!

The information in the article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute instructions for use. Consult your healthcare provider.

There are a lot of horror stories about the consequences of alcohol taken during pregnancy. Every adult woman, and even more so one who is preparing for the birth of a baby, knows very well that alcohol and pregnancy cannot be combined. But we are not even talking about the dangers of alcohol, but, in fact, about the fact that many consider abuse and occasional use to be different concepts. And also that the expectant mother should not deny herself anything.

Is it so?

Safe doses of alcohol during pregnancy - do they exist?

Many women have heard that a glass of red wine is even beneficial for pregnant women. Of course, this alcoholic drink has its positive properties - it can increase appetite and even hemoglobin levels.

But will this wine be beneficial for the fetus, even in such a small amount?

What facts confirm (refute) harm of alcohol to the fetus?

• Scientists once proved that exactly Half of the alcohol consumed crosses the placenta . That is, the child automatically “drinks” wine with his mother.
• All organisms are different. There are no hard limits or specific doses permissible for a pregnant woman to drink alcohol. For one person, half a glass of wine may be considered too much, while for another, a glass of beer is the norm.
• There is no difference between drinks of different strengths. They are equally harmful .
• There is no such thing as a safe amount of alcohol .
• May pose a threat to the fetus any type of alcoholic drink .

Common reasons why expectant mothers drink alcohol

An expectant mother, for whom pregnancy is no longer a secret, but is confirmed by a certificate from a consultation and reflection in the mirror, is unlikely to consciously risk the health of her unborn baby and drink alcohol. But there are different reasons:

• Holidays, where a glass or two for company flies by unnoticed.
• Habit “sip a beer” on a hot day.
• The body "demands" beer or wine (which often happens during pregnancy).

And other reasons, such as abuse (or, more simply, alcoholism) - we will not discuss them.
With any option, it’s worth first of all thinking about whether this alcoholic “dubious” pleasure is worth the health of the unborn child?

Why does a pregnant woman often crave beer?

It is a well-known fact that many expectant mothers are drawn to beer during pregnancy. Moreover, even those who previously categorically did not accept this drink. There is nothing surprising in such a desire - the taste preferences of expectant mothers change in accordance with changes in the body. The lack of certain substances causes a desire for something “sort of”, and beer is one of these whims. What do doctors say about this?

• The expectant mother shares every sip of alcohol equally with her baby. – this should be remembered first of all.
• Drink a couple of sips of beer - it’s not scary, but only if this desire is really so strong that it is impossible to overcome it.
• Harmful substances contained in beer can reach the baby through the placenta and lead to oxygen starvation baby , as well as other consequences. Particularly harmful are phytoestrogens (in hops), preservatives and toxic compounds, the presence of which is noted in all cans.
• Nonalcoholic beer is considered no less harmful than those containing alcohol.

It is known that such a strange whim of an expectant mother as a craving for beer can be explained by lack of vitamin B. IN the greatest number this vitamin is present in regular carrots . It is also worth noting such products as:

• Potato
• Eggs and cheese
• Certain species of bread
• Row fermented milk products
• Nuts
• Liver
• Yeast (in particular, beer halls)

If the desire for “at least a sip of beer” does not leave the expectant mother, then it is better to choose live beer , without preservatives and dyes.

The effect of alcohol on the fetus in the first weeks of pregnancy

For the unborn child, it is considered the most dangerous and responsible first trimester of mother's pregnancy . It is especially worth noting the period that begins With – at this time, the main systems and organs of the child’s body are formed. Therefore, even a minimum of alcohol may be the “last straw” that can cause developmental pathologies. We are not even talking about moderate but constant consumption of alcohol - it significantly increases the risk of miscarriage.

What exactly are the dangers of alcohol? taken in the first trimester?

• Toxic substances , which are present in alcohol, disrupt the balance of child development (physical and mental).
• Alcohol is instantly absorbed into the blood , and the placenta is not a barrier for him.
• Not only ethyl alcohol is harmful , but also alcohol processing products – in particular, acetaldehyde. The consequence is damage to the nervous system of the fetus and a negative effect on all cells of the body.
• Alcohol also disrupts metabolism and reduces the amount of vitamins (and folic acid) in the blood.

It is worth remembering that the main “laying in” and subsequent formation of organs in the fetus occurs from 3 to 13 weeks. It is during this period that you need to be attentive to your unborn child and your health, protecting your future child as much as possible from the effects of harmful factors.
Further development, as well as organ improvement occurs from 14 weeks . For organ development negative factors Most likely, they will not have any effect, but they can cause dysfunction of these organs.

"I didn't know I was pregnant." Alcohol in the first two weeks of pregnancy

Of course, a couple of glasses of wine drunk during the entire period of pregnancy most likely will not lead to irreversible consequences. But situations, the quality of alcohol and organisms are different. Therefore, it is better to endure once again and drink juice than to regret your incontinence later. There are situations when a woman drinks alcohol while still not aware of her pregnancy. Is this exactly your case? Don't panic. The main thing is to refrain from all bad habits for the remaining period.
What happens in these important first two weeks of pregnancy? ?

• Fabric bookmarks the unborn child and its organs do not occur in the first two weeks.
• Egg (fertilized) at this stage of pregnancy very defenseless , and each negative factor (in particular, alcohol) acts according to the “all or nothing at all” scheme. That is, either it does not affect the development of the fetus, or it kills the embryo.

These two weeks are just before the next menstruation, and during this period the woman, traditionally, does not yet know that she is already pregnant. Don't worry too much about drinking alcohol at this time. But here Of course, it is necessary to stop further use.

Every expectant mother should be well aware that alcohol is very harmful during pregnancy. And excessive consumption of strong drinks causes various irreversible pathological processes. We should not forget that alcohol negatively affects not only the psychological state of the mother, but also the health of her unborn baby. Alcohol is especially dangerous in the first weeks of pregnancy, as it can lead to irreversible consequences. Let's look at this issue in more detail.

Ignorance does not reduce responsibility

During pregnancy, alcohol in any quantity causes certain harm. Therefore, even two glasses of red wine a week will further affect the development of the fetus and can seriously affect the emerging life.

In the early stages, pregnancy often goes unnoticed for a woman, so many continue to lead an ordinary lifestyle without thinking about the consequences. Although mood swings, soreness and enlargement of the mammary glands, and nausea are possible, these signs do not always confirm women’s guesses about conception. On early stage You can determine the presence of pregnancy using a special test, which you can do yourself or by visiting the appropriate doctor.

If the “delicate” situation is nevertheless confirmed, then the woman should immediately think about the health of her future child and try to radically change her attitude towards bad habits. Forget or at least reduce to a minimum the consumption of even regular beer. In addition, reduce intake medicines, reduce physical activity, and smokers should try to quit this bad habit. Otherwise, you can cause irreparable harm to your baby from the very first days.

Destruction of useful substances

Drinking alcohol and smoking in the first month of pregnancy negatively affects female body, reducing its ability to absorb beneficial substances such as:

• Vitamins. This is especially true for vitamin E, which is necessary for the formation internal organs child. In addition, the mother herself needs it to maintain good tone.
• Iron. With a low level of hemoglobin in the maternal blood, there is a shortage of this element, which often leads to iron deficiency anemia and, as a consequence, to fetal hypoxia.
• Zinc. With a deficiency of this element, there is a risk of miscarriage, the formation of malformations, as well as the possibility of premature birth in the last month of pregnancy.
• Folic acid. Without this substance, the full development and formation of the fetal neural tube, as well as a healthy pregnancy, is impossible.

Alcohol during early pregnancy

If the expectant mother, not realizing her “interesting” situation, drank alcohol in the first weeks of pregnancy, then this is, in principle, not so critical, because in the first days (first and second week) after conception, ethanol, which is part of alcohol, will not have any effect. There is virtually no effect on the fetus. During this period, the embryo is just beginning to consolidate in the uterus and the formation of organs does not yet occur in it, therefore there is nothing particularly harmful.

But already from the third week of pregnancy, an active process begins in which all the child’s systems are formed and drinking alcohol during this period will negatively affect both the unborn child and the mother. The toxic effect of alcohol greatly harms the formation and development of the fetal neural tube, and this subsequently threatens with serious consequences for the unborn baby.

The formation of new fetal organs occurs during the first 13-14 weeks, so at this stage of its development it is necessary to give up all bad habits, and not just alcohol. Even breathing tobacco smoke near smokers is dangerous. Taking medications, except those prescribed by a doctor knowledgeable about your pregnancy, should also be avoided.

Until the 15th week, pregnancy is considered vulnerable, since further the fetus develops on the basis of formed organs, which are only being improved to prepare the baby for independent life. But this does not mean that after week 15 you can “relax” (drink, smoke) or “go all out.” Drinking alcohol in any case will be dangerous for the baby, since the ethanol contained in alcoholic beverages will penetrate the placenta and act as a powerful poison that can disrupt the normal functioning of many fetal organs and the viability of the system as a whole.

The effects of alcohol on child development

Numerous studies conducted to determine the harm of alcoholic beverages on pregnant women in the early stages of conception have shown the development of the following pathologies:

1. Immaturity of the fetal nervous system. With such disorders, children are too passive or suffer from hyperactivity. The basic skills that children of their age master are quite difficult for them to learn. Such children have difficulty adapting to society, and this leads to self-doubt and complete isolation. At an older age, mental disorders are possible, such as frequent depression, manic syndrome, as well as alcohol and drug addiction.
2. Severe spasm of maternal blood vessels. This condition is quite dangerous, since during antispasmodic contractions, the main blood vessels, as well as the vessels of the placenta, are affected, which leads to severe oxygen starvation of the fetus. This leads to disruption of the functioning of the spinal cord and brain.
3. Increased risk of preterm birth. Low birth weight and premature babies are often born, and the birth process at 8 months of pregnancy is especially dangerous, since the baby’s lungs are still very poorly adapted to the respiratory process, and doctors are often forced to resort to emergency measures. Premature babies are susceptible to frequent viral and colds, and their immunity is greatly weakened. There is often a delay in psychomotor and speech development, and the neglected condition leads to irreversible consequences.
4. Stillbirth or miscarriage. Drinking alcohol in a pregnant woman is often accompanied by changes in the emotional state, which is already at its limit due to hormonal imbalance. Therefore, negative factors combined together increase the likelihood of miscarriage.
5. Fetal alcohol syndrome in the fetus. This serious and special condition of the baby occurs as a result of the mother’s abuse of alcohol during the gestational period. Ultimately, the children of such unfortunate mothers are born defective and are very much behind in development in all respects.

Alcohol in the early stages of pregnancy is very harmful, but smoking also has a fairly strong negative effect on the developing fetus.

Pregnancy and smoking

In the first month of pregnancy, smoking mothers run the risk of causing a miscarriage or giving birth to a child with a host of congenital pathologies. Every cigarette can become a killer bacillus for a baby, so before you put a Koch stick in your mouth, you need to think 100 times not only about your health.

Here is a small list of pathologies that can occur in the fetus due to the mother’s negligence in relation to her bad habits, in particular this applies to heavy smokers:

• Anomalies of the cleft palate and cleft lip.
• Disruption of the normal functioning of the respiratory system.
• Strabismus.
• Down syndrome.
• Congenital inguinal hernia.

Smoking can also lead to a delay in the development of a child's brain, which subsequently affects all functions of his body.

Drinking beer

If a woman even drank beer and allowed herself to smoke at least a few cigarettes a day during pregnancy, then she was punishing not only herself, but also her unborn child. And there is no need to rely on the common myth that a pregnant woman’s body knows its predispositions.

This is a complete misconception that can lead to irreparable consequences. In the first months of pregnancy, drinking beer can provoke all sorts of deformities in the future newborn, and the child will severely pay for maternal incontinence.

Alcohol often leads to the death of the fetus before it is born. This is especially true for chronic alcoholics who conceive children while already intoxicated, although many of them consider non-alcoholic beer to be a harmless drink. This is by no means true, since the chemical additives and preservatives that this beer is packed with are no less harmful than regular alcohol.

Although there are exceptions, when a pregnant woman really does not have enough B vitamins, which can be replenished with carrots or other foods containing this vitamin, and it is not at all necessary to drink beer.

Alcohol in the early stages before delay

The expectant mother also needs to know that alcoholic beverages have a detrimental effect not only in early pregnancy, but also at the time of conception of future offspring. The fact is that ethyl alcohol is very insidious. It can penetrate the egg and disrupt all processes of proper fetal formation. Therefore, during sexual intercourse that occurs while intoxicated, the likelihood of having defective offspring increases exponentially.

If you are planning a pregnancy, do the following initially::

• Give up any type of alcohol for several months.
• Stop smoking at least two weeks before you expect to conceive.
• Be active and healthy image life while playing sports.

If you follow these three postulates, you will probably end up with a strong and healthy child, who in the future simply needs to be instilled with all the necessary spiritual values.

Are there acceptable standards?

This issue is quite controversial, since ideally a pregnant woman should not drink alcohol in any quantity. Even among doctors there is still debate on this issue, because some consider a small amount of good red wine to be beneficial in any case. This, of course, is useful for supporting and stimulating the human circulatory system, but when it comes to the fetus of a pregnant woman, many have doubts.

The most interesting thing is that there are plenty of facts on this matter, both in support of this theory, and vice versa, so it is difficult to draw clear conclusions. Every pregnant woman should feel her body herself and decide on this question and answer. But we should not forget about the timing of pregnancy, which clearly determines all prohibitions or permissions, and this must be taken into account.

It is important to remember the main points that indicate the following.

Carbonated low-alcohol drinks pose a great danger to the fetus, since the preservatives in their composition are quickly absorbed into the blood and do not bring anything good.

A child may develop fetal alcohol syndrome if at least 20 grams of alcohol are systematically ingested into the mother's body. alcohol at one time. The equivalent of this dose of alcohol can be indicated by the following measures:

• A 0.5 liter bottle of beer is a “time bomb” for an unformed fetal body.
• Rum, tequila, cognac, whiskey - systematic use of at least 50 grams. drinking these drinks will lead to unpredictable consequences.
• Table or dessert wine, 200 ml per week, can become both medicine for the mother and poison for the child.
• Cocktails and liqueurs of 200 ml are also a controversial issue.

Based on the above factors, it becomes clear that for each case of drinking by a pregnant woman there will be a different result. Much depends on the physical and psychological state of the expectant mother and on genetic predisposition. But there is no need to rely on these factors. First of all, you need to think about the health of your future baby, so at least for a while you need to change your priorities towards the new little person.

There should be no doubt in anyone’s mind that alcohol has a detrimental effect on the development of the fetus and the health of the child in the future. Much has been written, heard and discussed about this. However, a considerable number of pregnant women are confident that use and abuse are not the same thing. Is there a difference between these concepts when the new life? Can the expectant mother allow herself to take a sip? And what is the permissible dose of alcohol during this crucial period?

Scientists and doctors have repeatedly tried to clarify this issue. And each time they found a new answer to it. Moreover, there is still no unambiguously correct one among them. But the opinion of scientific luminaries on this matter has changed significantly.

Previously, it was believed that a glass of good wine was not only safe, but even beneficial for a pregnant woman. raises hemoglobin and increases appetite - this is extremely important for mom now. Which means it is necessary. No one can establish strict limits on acceptable doses, since everyone has their own limit: the body reacts to alcohol very individually. And what is normal for one woman may be too much for another. On average, one was allowed a glass of wine per week.

But it was worth everything and nothing: to look a little further, inside the woman. Could this be beneficial for the fetus? Today it has been proven that a child in the womb “drinks” alcohol with her. True, not in the same quantity as mommy, but exactly half of what she took on her breast. Although recent data indicate that alcohol penetrates the placental barrier in full. A lot can be said about how ethyl alcohol affects the embryo. But this is usually not required to understand the picture. Because your position and desire drink during pregnancy will depend on only one thing: do you think that for such a tiny and defenseless creature, not yet born, but already living and functioning just like you, there is at least some safe dose of alcohol? Even if he gets 5 grams out of the ten you drink? Won't this kill him? And what’s even worse: won’t it cripple?

That is why modern doctors have already taken a completely different position: there are no safe doses of alcohol during pregnancy. No one (and perhaps even never) will tell you for sure how many grams of wine will be fatal for your baby. And what’s worse: no one except you will bear responsibility for this later. This does not mean at all that a sip of beer, for example, can end in tragedy for your offspring. But this does not guarantee the opposite either.

Another recent finding: during pregnancy there is no difference between alcoholic beverages. And if earlier doctors claimed that whiskey, brandy, vodka, liqueurs and the like are now prohibited for you, and wine and beer are on the list of permitted ones, then recent scientific research proves something else: any alcohol is equally potentially dangerous for offspring.

Don't panic if you've had a lot of fun without knowing you're pregnant. In the first days, while the embryo is still on its way to the uterus, this is dangerous only in the sense that it can provoke spontaneous abortion. But then you won’t even know about pregnancy. Until the placenta has formed and the fetus has begun to feed from you, there is no danger from alcohol. An average of two weeks between fertilization and missed menstruation is considered absolutely safe. Of course, if for some reason the doses of alcohol were too large and were consumed daily, you should tell your doctor about it. If not, relax. But later, as soon as the embryo lands and begins to develop and grow, alcohol is out of the question! The smallest drop in the first trimester can cause pathologies and deformities. This period is the most important and dangerous.

I would like to say a few words about the father’s responsibility for the health of his offspring. If the pregnancy is planned, then the man must give up alcohol at least 4 months before conception in order to eliminate influence of alcohol on heredity. Scientists have established a connection between father's alcoholism and slow intrauterine development of the fetus. Some of them believe that excessive alcohol consumption by the child's father can also cause fetal alcohol syndrome. Even small doses of regularly consumed alcohol can reduce sperm motility and damage their genetic structure, which will negatively affect the health of the unborn child. Considered safe dose of alcohol about 25 milliliters of alcohol per day, that is, 150-250 grams of dry wine or 60 grams of vodka. How much did your child's father drink?

We don't want to intimidate you. This is still only a theory, not one hundred percent proven. But the fact that with the onset of pregnancy you bear full responsibility for your decisions and actions is an indisputable fact.

If you are adamant and none of the above impresses you, here are some opinions on acceptable doses:

• Sometimes, 2-3 times during pregnancy, you can allow yourself 100-200 g of natural dry wine.
• In the second trimester, ethanol increases the risk if a woman drinks more than 30 ml of alcohol twice a week.
• A 70-kilogram woman, for example, can drink just 50 grams of red wine, and surprisingly, the negative effects of drinking alcohol already begin to take effect within 90 minutes.
• Most studies have confirmed that four to five elementary doses of alcohol per day are sufficient to cause fetal alcohol syndrome. However, in a mild form, abnormalities also occur with two doses per day (28 g of alcohol).
• If you do drink, then you need to drink one, maximum two drinks a week, and then during meals.

How does alcohol affect pregnancy?

Well, for dessert. Just a couple of facts about the impact of alcohol during the period when you create and control, if not all, but many of the conditions for your child’s development. This is exactly what depends on you. This is what you influence and what you decide. And no one else.

• Moderate consumption of alcohol during pregnancy increases the likelihood of miscarriage, and excessive consumption often leads to abnormalities in the fetus. Chronic drinking during pregnancy can lead to a fetal abnormality called fetal alcohol syndrome.
• Scientists have proven that mild, moderate alcohol consumption during pregnancy can lead to lasting changes in the brain, and most importantly, you don’t see the damage.
• If alcohol enters the blood of the fetus, the liver, vascular system, as well as those brain structures that determine mental activity.
• If drugs are used along with alcohol, the potential harm to the fetus increases many times over. Of particular danger are painkillers and stimulants, as well as drugs against seizures.
• When a woman drinks alcohol, her eggs are damaged, each of which carries genetic information about your unborn child. So alcohol is dangerous even before pregnancy.
• The child of “culturally” drinking parents has less body weight, shorter height and lags behind in development from peers born to abstainers. Such a child has a weakened immune system and more susceptible to various diseases. But the main thing: he has an innate predisposition to alcoholism.
• All types of alcohol are toxic to the growing, developing fetus. Any drink containing alcohol is potentially harmful to the fetus.
• Be careful when using over-the-counter medications